Ignore the docs or not?

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boymomthree
boymomthree Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I broke my ankle on both sides 6 years ago and it is still painful a lot of the time. (I also have bad knees). I keep trying to run on it and it swells so bady it's shocking and very painful. I have been told by doctors, physical therapist and sports massage therapists that I will never be able to run like before. I joined a basketball team last year and was unable to finish out the season because of the extreme swelling and pain. I couldn't even get my shoes off without a lot of pain and effort after games and couldn't wear shoes for a day or so after. I certainly am not the only person out there to have broken an ankle so I am wondering what you guys think. Do I keep trying or am I just causing more damage?
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Replies

  • KayaSamantha
    KayaSamantha Posts: 157 Member
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    I ruptured all of the ligaments off my left ankle 6 years ago and have never been able to run on it the same (I know that it isn't a broken ankle but is kinda related). I have found though with a tonne of swimming (with flippers to strengthen my ankles) and hiking (uneven ground helps my proprioceptors in my ankle) I can do about 75% of what I was once capable of. Good luck!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    Please. Listen to your doctors (and your body) - the swelling and intense pain afterward is your body's way of saying "NO! We can't do this!".

    From someone who has ignored doctor's advice, didn't listen to her body during an injury, etc...

    Please. Don't do it. It isn't worth the long term pain.
  • springtrio
    springtrio Posts: 429 Member
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    I broke my ankle on both sides 6 years ago and it is still painful a lot of the time. (I also have bad knees). I keep trying to run on it and it swells so bady it's shocking and very painful. I have been told by doctors, physical therapist and sports massage therapists that I will never be able to run like before. I joined a basketball team last year and was unable to finish out the season because of the extreme swelling and pain. I couldn't even get my shoes off without a lot of pain and effort after games and couldn't wear shoes for a day or so after. I certainly am not the only person out there to have broken an ankle so I am wondering what you guys think. Do I keep trying or am I just causing more damage?

    Sounds like you need an orthopedic doctor. I did softball, volleyball, and dancing through out my younger years and had a lot of injuries, I've always been back where I should be. I've never been a runner til about 3 years ago and have not once had an injury. I'd definitely see if you could see some kind of specialist.
  • sarah61587
    sarah61587 Posts: 56 Member
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    I would say you are causing more damage. When I was young I was told my achilles tendons didn't grow right and I shouldn't do a lot of running or wear heels, ever! I ignored them and am paying for it now! Luckily mine can be mitigated with stretching and physical therapy. I also ignored (and generally continue to ignore) many of the things that they docs have told me about my back problems. I am now in so much pain somedays that I can't sleep and have a super hard time getting out of bed...and I am only 24! Don't ignore them! Find another way to stay active without so much strain. Do you enjoy swimming? Have you tried water aerobics? It is a great work out and might help strengthen your ankles. Good Luck!
  • kadoodle76
    kadoodle76 Posts: 234
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    Your body's reaction has already given you the answer to that question. :wink: Take care of yourself and find a different way to exercise.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Absolutely! Ignore the extreme pain, swelling and the advice of people who went to school for a godless number of years to learn about the human body and keep running!

    That's what any same person would do.
  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
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    I agree... it isn't worth it. There's plenty of exercises out there that you can do to strengthen your body and perhaps even your foot. I recommend talking with a physical therapist or personal trainer to get some ideas.
  • lauren0804
    lauren0804 Posts: 48
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    I sprained my ankle a few years ago and if I do too much exercise, I can still feel it hurting a little bit. The doctor's told me not to exercise and stay off it. I couldn't not just work out. So I did what I could. Well I couldn't walk on the treadmill so I did the bike instead. I feel like I healed quicker just by exercising. I would say you know your body, you know your limits, you are the best judge. However, at the same time if it's really painful I wouldn't do anything to put that added stress on it. If you like running, maybe it doing it a few days a week not every day. But if you are in that much pain I probably would avoid running all together.

    Have you tried the Elliptical Machine? It's better on the knees...and I use it every day.
  • MeMyCatsandI
    MeMyCatsandI Posts: 704 Member
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    Seriously? I don't mean to sound rude, but if multiple doctors and therapists have told you that you should not be running, YOU SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING. To look for advice from people on MFP, no matter how smart they may be, makes NO sense. Listen to your doctors and find another activity that works for you.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    I didn't break my ankle, but suffered a 4th degree sprain to it 3 years ago. I had injured the same ankle 2 times prior (not as severe however) but it's just terribly weak and without any stability. I passed on surgery and went hard in PT for 5 months...yes 5 months for a sprain, they told me to break it next time as it would have been much easier to come off of. I was also told I'd never be able to run, etc...I had one physical therapist who believed that I could and told me to be careful. Starting running last year (2 years post injury) and am now training for a marathon. I have landed myself back in physical therapy, but as long as I run smart and listen to my body, I am allowed to keep training fo the marathon. I also was told that I would never play soccer again (how the injuries occurred all 3 times) and am slated to (hopefully) be back on the soccer field for season start next week.

    I don't think you should ignore the doctor's advice, but without knowing your injury...I know your situation. Maybe get back into physical therapy, find a new doctor, get a brace...there are a lot of things that you can do. Lower leg and hip strengthening will probably help you a lot, it has helped me tremendously. I wouldn't just continue to run though without getting a second (or third) opinion. There probably is a way for you to run, but it might take a heck of a lot of effort to get you there. It's worth looking into though! Good luck!
  • Setof2Keys
    Setof2Keys Posts: 681 Member
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    You may need more physical therapy before getting into something so intense. I would also get fitted for good shoes. They support your whole body and you may be off balance which will make an injury like that worse and more difficult to rehab. I would see an orthopedic doctor and tell him your end goal and see if there is a way to acheive that OVER TIME...not just yet. They may be able to help you get there. But for goodness sakes...stop doing all of that crazy stuff now.
  • AMA983
    AMA983 Posts: 28 Member
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    Listen to your body. I've had knee issues recently and found that Pilates has helped me immensely. I did Pilates a few years ago religiously and just got back into it this summer and since July I have lost 2 inches from my tummy and 1 inch from my hips.
  • raevynn
    raevynn Posts: 666 Member
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    Have you consulted an orthopedist? Maybe a sports doctor (specialist)?

    I would.
  • boymomthree
    boymomthree Posts: 28 Member
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    Absolutely! Ignore the extreme pain, swelling and the advice of people who went to school for a godless number of years to learn about the human body and keep running!

    That's what any same person would do.

    Maybe I am not making my question clear or you just feel like being snarky, either way, I now see why so many MFP friends say they never post on the community pages anymore.
  • voluptas63
    voluptas63 Posts: 602 Member
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    Gotta go with some of my snarkier friends. Why ask people on an anonymous message board that (most of us don't, face it) have NO medical background whatsoever. Just personal experience.

    Listen to your doctors. They're EXPERTS. This is why doctors can't stand the internet with people trying to self diagnose. You've been to multiple specialists. Quit telling them they're wrong. Your body is telling them they're right.
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
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    What the doctors say doesn't matter, listen to your body. Your body says this isn't good and you need to stop!! Have you tried looking for an alternative form of exercise, something with less impact on the legs and particularly the ankles. Both biking and Swimming seem like good alternatives. Either way if running is causing you that much pain and swelling, you shouldn't be doing it.
  • VickiMitkins
    VickiMitkins Posts: 249 Member
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    I would never suggest ignoring the docs, but sometimes they don't give us enough credit for working through issues. I have not actually broken anything, but my knees are not in great shape due to lots of running and jumping as a kid and in highschool. For years I had pain and swelling if I did anything beyond walking. My ortho suggested working to strengthen the muscles around my knees to reduce the stress on the knee joint. I have been working on that. I'm now able to jog a little without pain. I'm working slowly to increase my tolerance. It may be you need to really concentrate on conditioning and strengthening first and then slowly build up to running. I'm assuming you wear a brace on the ankle. If not, I would see about wearing one. Maybe talk to your doc about x-rays so you know what kind of damage you have and then more done later to compare and see if you are causing more damage.
  • boymomthree
    boymomthree Posts: 28 Member
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    What I am wondering is if anyone out there was told they could not do something but found help to work through whatever ailment they suffer from and can now do exactly what they were told was impossible.
  • Bankman1989
    Bankman1989 Posts: 1,116 Member
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    I broke my ankle on both sides 6 years ago and it is still painful a lot of the time. (I also have bad knees). I keep trying to run on it and it swells so bady it's shocking and very painful. I have been told by doctors, physical therapist and sports massage therapists that I will never be able to run like before. I joined a basketball team last year and was unable to finish out the season because of the extreme swelling and pain. I couldn't even get my shoes off without a lot of pain and effort after games and couldn't wear shoes for a day or so after. I certainly am not the only person out there to have broken an ankle so I am wondering what you guys think. Do I keep trying or am I just causing more damage?


    I take glucosamine chondrotin. My doc told me I would always have severe pain in my knee. It hurt so bad I thought I would need surgery. I start taking G & C and 1 and 1/2 years later My knee is still better than it was when I had surgery at 19. I couldn't straighten out my knee for years but now I have full flexibility.
  • CrisN99
    CrisN99 Posts: 159 Member
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    I don't have any special advice- only hope that you are able to find a way to do what you want without hurting your ankle anymore. Also, something my grandmother used to say to my grandad back when they were alive is "Why would anyone spend all that money to get the doctors advice- then ignore it."

    Just food for thought!

    :) Good luck and God Bless!

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